Aizen's cake
by Lunawerewolfy
Summary: Kisuke must be out of his mind. He visits Aizen in prison. Major fluff, wit and pink icing for everyone! Aizen/Kisuke
1. Chapter 1 Idiots and Icing

**A/N: A silly little story for you. Read, review, enjoy~**

Kisuke Urahara was a interesting guy. You could say that was because his mind worked in strange and mysterious ways. You could also say-and one particular orange-haired Shinigami makes a point of saying it a lot-that's because he's a complete ass. It was probably because his mind worked in different ways to other people's.

Whatever the reason, for some reason he found himself in Muken, the 8th and lowest level of the underground prison in Soul Society, outside the cell of probably the most dangerous criminal that has ever threatened Soul Society.

He was there of his own free will. There was a birthday cake in his hands, his cane was tucked neatly under one arm, and his hat cast a shadow over his eyes. He looked down. In tacky pink icing he'd scrawled "Happy Birthday Aizen!" Dear lord, he must be possessed.

He shuffled the cake closer to him and flattened his hand against the door. It was locked. Obviously. It really wasn't his day.

Kisuke turned a few cold silver bars around experimentally until the heavy door unlocked with what sounded worryingly like a snap.

He heaved it open and skidded inside. He knew it was Aizen tied to the tilted table but really it could have been anybody. His entire body was covered with what looked like duck tape but was probably some sort of super-duper magical black bindings some research guy had spent centuries developing. The only bit of Aizen that was visible was his soft brown eyes that looked at Kisuke in a curious fashion.

"Happy birthday, Aiz," Kisuke exclaimed, showing him the tacky cake, tilting its surface down so he could read the surface.

And maybe it was just that Kisuke's mind worked in a different way, but under the duck tape, Kisuke though he saw him smile.


	2. Chapter 2 Rudeness and rank

Chapter two: Rudeness and rank

"I'm sorry, there's just no two ways about it. I'm just gonna have to eat the cake for you." Kisuke grinned. "I would feed it to you, but y'know, that's kinda unhygienic and you never know, I might need all my fingers one day, like for playing the guitar or something." Kisuke knew he was about as musical as a brick in a bin but that was beside the point.

Still, the cake tasted nice.

-/-

"Nice to see you're keeping up on that diet you were always on about," Yoruichi said smugly.

Kisuke slammed the fridge door in surprise, pink frosting glittering around his mouth.

"There goes ten years I really needed," Kisuke sighed. "I knew there was a reason I wanted to get a guard dog."

Yoruichi ignored that. "Kisuke, you didn't tell me you had kids!"

"You've come here before, haven't you? They're not mine."

"Yeah but I thought they were street urchins. I didn't know you and Tessai were ready for that yet," Yoruichi smirked.

"What?"

"Aren't you and Tessai in a relationship?" ~(1)~

"No."

"Oh, because I thought-"

"No. Was there a reason you came?"

"Yeah, there was actually. We're offering you back your place in Soul Society."

"What?!" Pink icing sprayed everywhere.

"Well, Aizen's place is vacant and all of your crimes have been wiped, and there's no one ready to take his place yet. All the divisions need full-time captains and you have experience."

"I don't know... My shop needs a manager..."

"Tessai could take up your slack. You don't seem to be doing much work anyway. How about it?"

Kisuke sighed. "Fine."

**-A/N-**

**~(1)~ Yeah, I know. I can't be the only one. **


	3. Chapter 3 New Oldness

**Warning:** the smallest amount of bad language. The next chapter will be longer!

Chapter 3: New Oldness

The uniform felt weird. Everything did. Urahara didn't look that different but he felt like another person. He studied his reflection in the mirror, his hat rested on the wardrobe, his fingers lingered on the brim. His head felt cold without it, but it has mainly been a way of hiding himself. Still... It would seem like all those years nothing had happened or changed.

He brushed the thoughts away and he laughed at himself. The hat landed with a thunk in the bin. Being this nostalgic must be bad for him.

Soul Society never changed. Nobody ever aged really, so the Captains were Captains until their dying day. As soon as a Shinigami was a Captain there wasn't much else to aim for, but that didn't mean they didn't have anything to aim for.

Kisuke shuffled his feet. They felt weird without clogs. He felt smaller. Quieter. Ugh.

Benhime was in her usual scabbard and he could tell she didn't like it either.

When he passed through the portal and was in the seireitei, it was as quiet as a ghost town. It sort of was, in a way, he thought. It also sort of wasn't as well. In fact-

Focus.

Kisuke found himself moving instinctively in the direction of Sous-... Aizen. He shook his head. How many times had he visited him since his crimes were cleared? Far too many. There was some sort of vague idea of cute Aizen getting twisted by loneliness and killing them all in their beds. He was doing a justice to the whole Soul Society! It made no difference he'd just referred to Aizen as "cute".

Whatever happened, Kisuke went there anyway. It amused him how simple the doors were to open. After all, why bother waiting metal? If Mr. Watch-Me-Cut-Mountains-In-Half somehow got out of the ducktape then the door was done for. He liked the way these people thought.

"Me again." Kisuke grinned. Aizen's eyes watch him steadily, something stirred in their depths. Kisuke decided he didn't really want to know what that was. "Have ya missed me? I've got good news! Well, good news for me, to you it's not bad news, probably just news really."

"I'm going to become a captain again! Actually I'm going to take your place since mine had already been filled. Sad really. Since you were a much better Captain then me. So much cleverer, more powerful. More like a god than a Captain." It took about three seconds for him to realise what he had just said. Despite the fact his face didn't change, inside he was yelling at himself.

A god? What a freakish thing to say to someone evil! What if Aizen started a cult?! Aizen wasn't a god.

In fact, he was more devilish. Devilishly handsome.

More inside screaming at his own idiocy but luckily he didn't say that out loud. No, then he'd probably either just die on the spot or leave and never come back. Ever. What sort of psychopath makes fun of his own thoughts!

"A sexy psychopath, maybe," Aizen said.

"I'm glad you think-..." Kisuke noticed Aizen standing completely naked in a pool of duck table like snake. Funny what you realise first. "Well..." He said in his usual smart-ass voice "Fuck."


	4. Chapter 4 Back To White

**Chapter Four: Back To White**

Kisuke had always thought fainting was something humans did. It was the classic thing for a human to do when faced with fear or overwhelming challenges; become totally unconscious for a while, loosing whatever edge they had. Yep, fainting was not for Shinigami. Or, you know, so he thought.

The first thing Kisuke noticed when he woke up was that he was, decidedly not dead. In fact, he had woken up quite comfortable. Well-rested, even. Which also struck him as odd, since he spent almost all of the night and day awake and running around, usually away from things. He must've been out for ages.

The room he was in was deeply, deeply familiar, the itching kind of familiar where you couldn't place just where you'd seen it before. Then he realise, he was in Urahara Shoten, back in his room. He hardly ever used it so it was dull, white and dusty. But not here. Here was bright. Paper butterflies fluttered against the window, and he briefly wondered if Orihime had redecorated in here. Still there was something terribly anonymously wrong here.

He pushed off the heavy blankets and knelt on his pillow. He get his head on the sill.

The street below was narrow, cheery and bustling. Urahara Shoten's road was wide, depressing and empty. Still, although this struck him as odd it could be explained by a complex kido put up by Tessai for passing Shinigami (although he usually opted for Dirty Garage Caressed In Grime And Graffiti; everything a self-respecting Shinigami would avoid & more!) but that was still not what was wrong.

He glanced down and he was in a linen shirt and draw-string linen trousers, that almost wafted away by themselves. Still not what was wrong.

Then a sickening realisation hit him in the gut, like his insides were rotting. The thing was terribly wrong. Benihime, the beautiful, flowing red princess was missing. His constant, wise and gorgeous companion was gone.

He couldn't sense her, but he couldn't sense anything. He felt the urge to throw the pillows and blankets across the room, pull the books from the shelves, like he did when he was a...

He dashed down the hallway, and was about to walk outside, when he saw someone he recognised. Deeply, terribly, anonymously recognised.

"Kisuke?" She said softly. She had beautiful hair, long soft and curly at the edges, shinning in the morning sun. His mother had beautiful hair, long and soft.

She pulled him close. She was warm, and comforting. He found it hard to remember the last time he was warm and comforted. "You shouldn't be up this early, kiddo. Your father and I worry about you." Her voice was soft and beautiful, like she was singing a lullaby, not just talking.

Through the crook of her arm he saw the kitchen where the maid worked making porridge. There was the corner where his old hunting dog, Wheezer had sat before Wheezer got worse and passed away.

He was overwhelmed by warm, comforting familiarity. It had been years since he'd thought of home. Just one question lingered on his mind.

He looked up at her, a question in his eyes.

"Yes, Kisuke?" She replied.

"Do you think I don't know what a Ban-Kai is?"

Kisuke was breathing in dust. He had been for some time. It coated his mouth like powdered paint, his tongue was heavy and dry with it. This dust... It tasted metallic.

He did not have to look up to know that Benihime was still missing. Her presence was achingly gone like a missing arm or a leg would be. He didn't have to look up to taste the fear heavy in the air or that Aizen was near. His energy was everywhere. Thick, like blood. Heavy, like metal.

"Captain Urahara?" The energy's owner asked calmly.

"Come now, Aizen." He struggled through a dry mouth, swallowing dust. He somehow didn't have the strength to get up. "Aren't we on first name terms yet?"

Aizen said nothing but like the fear he could taste his calm smile. "I have a question to ask you."

"Really?" Hat and clogs man kept surprise from his voice with difficultly. It did explain why he was still alive when Aizen could move around.

"Yes. I was wondering, if you would like to be my partner-"

Kisuke coughed in surprise, also throwing up dust. He cleared his throat as best he could without moving his arms.

Aizen waited patiently for him to finish. When he had, he continued in his soft-spoken manner. "Since Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tōsen are both dead, I have no 'partners in crime' as you and others might call it. This is a rather large problem as my associates can be used to distract, delay, and kill my enemies. Therefore they must be strong and used to battle. And you happen to be the sole Shinigami or Hollow who might... Co-operate with me."

Kisuke coughed quietly. "Umm... No thanks." He felt like Aizen deserved an explanation at least, for sparing his life. "Only because people who work for you, well, they, well, have a tendency of, you know, dying."

Aizen was silent for a moment. "I understand." He said softly, and the heavy presence left in an instant. Benihime's returned, not overshadowed anymore. But still something was terribly missing. Like one might miss an arm or a leg.


	5. Chapter 5 More Than Missing

**Chapter 5: More Than Missing**

There's a way of peeling an orange in one single motion to make the orange peel so that it ends up in one long dimpled orange spiral. His father used to show him how, the knife a silver blur. He'd sit and watch, and eat the results. He'd practiced every day, earning cuts and scoldings, but eventually...

Kisuke ran his hand through his long spiky blonde hair. Why was he remembering this? He hadn't thought of his family in millions of years. After a while you just forget about these things. He had a new family now.

He skidded to a halt, near the captain's area. He slid the door open and stood there panting softly.

"Ah, Captain Urahara, how're you—" Byakuya began pleasantly before seeing the look in Kisuke's eyes.

Like a frightened, cornered, out-numbered animal, just about to snarl back.

"So let me get this right, Kisuke," Shunsui said softly, doubt heavy in his voice, "You were spared even after directly turning Aizen down on a position as his second. And you've been meeting in secret for, what, a month now? And you have extremely powerful kido that could undo even the most difficult of bindings if you have enough time." Kisuke shuffled, twitching. He was strangely uncomfortable among people he'd spent years and years with. He knew their faces better than his own. Yet, they were judging him, turning against him, deciding his fate.

Kisuke's eyes flicked from all of the ones turned on him. Large icy blue, small black, maddened orange, delicate green, measured blue, lazy brown. He felt cornered, weak, vulnerable. "Y-yes...?" He asked quietly.

Kisuke's vision began to grey and blacken, he looked around fearful. It was just then that he noticed there was one pair of eyes he hadn't noticed. Animal ones.

He fell silently, crumpling painfully. A thousand hateful thoughts spun around his mind, none his own.

Yoruichi looked at Kisuke through the bars of the hospital room's window. Her lifelong friend looked so fragile, beneath the thin sheets. His face was pinched painfully. Tears and sweat drops glinted over his forehead. It was difficult to restrain someone so strong in such short notice. "You're sure it's Kido that's done this?" she asked softly.

"He hasn't been himself," Byakuya said gently, "What else apart from Kido could do this? Aizen is powerful enough for mind control. He was waiting for Kisuke to become captain again so he could be freed, and he edited in new memories for him. It must have been a rushed job, leaving Urahara as muddled and shaken up like that."

"Like he'd seen a ghost," Yoruichi said absently.

"Indeed. Look, Captain, I'm sorry but my orders are to escort you to a surveillance area so you won't aid the victim, precautions," Byakuya offered his arm.

"Like I'd do that," Yoruichi snorted quietly, taking his arm, "It really seems he needs help this time."

Byakuya smiled a little. "Precautions."

Night blanketed up Soul Society, the room was cool and quiet but inside Kisuke's mind a fire raged, white hot. Fever. Pain. He shuffled, the sheets sticking to him like seaweed to a drowning man. His face pinched up in struggling breaths. His chest was strangely heavy, like his ribs were made of lead. He breathed in scented air and coughed it up again.

A shadow passed across the moon, thin arms lifted the drowning man from his bed, silent brown eyes followed the lines of his skin. The shadow was gone, along with the man whose ribs were made of lead.

In the end, Kisuke's pounding headache woke him. It made the pale, pasty moon he saw when he first opened them almost too bright to handle. He groaned and pinched his brow, screwing his eyes shut. Cold nipped his skin and dew lingered on his hair. He was lying on something awkward, like he was draped over something, or someone was ho-

His eyes flew open. "Wait one-! Aizen, what the-! Put me down!" He yelled, squirming in his arms as best he could, sleep still weighing them down.

Aizen let him down, and stepped back, respectfully silent. Kisuke stood there, looking flustered, dew soaking his feet and chilling them to the bone, trying desperately to process the situation life had spat at him.

Aizen was silent. It annoyed Kisuke like hell. That bastard didn't even try to explain why he'd kidnapped him and was in the middle of a freaking forest probably miles away from anywhere! It didn't matter that it still would've annoyed him if he'd tried to talk.

Kisuke backed away. Even though he was about two metres away Aizen didn't move an inch. Kisuke guessed he didn't have to, this guy could take the whole Goeti at once. "Look, if this is 'cause I didn't accept the position, I'm sorry. I just don't like working for people much. But Ichigo's doing great so you can just leave me in the forest and go fight him so you won't be so lone-"

Aizen successfully crossed the distance and cut him off before he finished speaking. He could taste the half finished words on Kisuke's tongue. They tasted sweet, sugared. Or maybe that was just Kisuke's flavour.

And for a moment the kiss was perfect. Kisuke's hands balled into fists of Aizen's stolen fabric. Aizen's tongue slid around his teeth. And that moment was wonderful, oh, so perfect, until Kisuke realised what he was doing and just who he was kissing.

Kisuke shoved Aizen away. For a split second surprise lit the soulless brown eyes, meeting Kisuke's disgusted green ones. Kisuke turned and ran, trees whirling past.

Aizen didn't follow. Even though he could've caught up.

In a skipped heartbeat.

Pale swirls of smoke from the small cup of green tea in Kisuke's hand stung his eyes. Warmth coursed through his fingertips.

"Did you act from the heart?" Tessai asked softly. He somehow looked more intimidating in average human clothes, but Kisuke knew his old friend wouldn't hurt a fly. He was like a ridiculously muscled teddy bear. A slightly creepy ridiculously muscled teddy bear.

Kisuke pawed the tea. "I-... I... I don't know. I hope so."

Tessai raised an eyebrow. "Why?" He took a sip of his black coffee.

"B-because... I don't think I can change my mind now."

~-~-A/N-~-~

So this is longer! Yay! I did half on a computer half on an iPod, and I find I write totally differently depending on the device I'm on. I had to rewrite the second part because it was dumb. Incase you haven't guessed, I'm a Tessai fan! I wrote this during a sugar rush, so please tell me if bits of it are weird 'n I'll change it. I didn't edit it! Argh! I'm a lazy poo.

Tell me if I'm updating too much! Might be like spam!


	6. Chapter 6 Less Than Found

**Chapter 6: Less than found**

You could say Yourichi woke up on the wrong side of bed, but it's difficult to determine the wrong side when you're falling out of a hammock.

"Yourichi-sama!" Soi Fang leapt to her side, but flinched at her annoyed growl.

"Why do the Soul Society get so worked up about things like this? Kisuke's been a fugitive before," Yourichi growled and pulled herself up, batting Soi Fang away.

"Well, this time we're afraid Aizen may use Kisuke to attack us, so it'd be better if we-"

"No, Kisuke would just escape again. Aizen doesn't make plans. He spins webs," Yorichi tucked a strand of purple hair behind her ear. "Each and every action is thought out over and over. But this, this doesn't fit. If Aizen wanted to escape, he'd bide his time, wait until we were totally trusting of Kisuke before he make him betray us. This, this isn't Aizen's style. It's far too slap-dash make-do."

Soi Fang narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Aizen is... Something's changed... Aizen, he's... He's..." Yorichi struggled for words. "I don't know. Something about Kisuke changed him."

"Maybe," Soi Fang laughed. "They're in love."

Yorichi laughed. "Maybe."

\~/

"Are you alright sir?" Ururu asked softly.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Kisuke yawned. "Any customers?"

"Yeah, just Little Ichigo Girl," she replied, and went back to brushing.

"Wh- Oh, Karin," Kisuke stretched. "Is she still here?"

"Yeah."

Kisuke padded out to the shop, and slapped on a wide grin. "Why, Kurosaki-chan how are-"

"Bastard! You left me here for an hour! Call that customer service, Asshole!" She yelled.

"Sorry," Kisuke scratched the back of his neck.

"Yeah." She huffed "And what's with that creepy over-powered guy living in the tree outside? What, is he the neighbourhood hermit or is he just your stalk-"

"Wait, what does he look like?" Kisuke took her by the shoulders and looked at her. Karin's eyes widened.

She frowned, thinking. "He's in a tree, it was hard to tell! I guess- brown hair? And-"

But she was talking to thin air.

\~/

"Oi, Squatter!" Kisuke called. "Gettof my lawn!"

Aizen turned slowly and his mouth twitched.

"So what are you doing here anyway?" Kisuke looked at him carefully. "I thought your evil lair was in a volcano somewhere, so you could cook up your dastardly deeds for our good hero Ichigo Kurosaki, part everything powerful, really quite a useful chap in the great scheme of things."

Aizen slid down from the tree. "And where would you fit into the great scheme of things?"

"Loveable rogue of course," Kisuke smirked.

"Of course." Aizen almost imitated his smirk. His smooth voice was both sour and sweet and the same like honey mixed in lemon. "That or Damsel in distress."

Kisuke shot him a sharp look. "Excuse me?"

Aizen said nothing, doubt crossing his mind if that was the right thing to say, but it vanished when he heard Kisuke laugh.

"You really are dastardly villain," Kisuke smirked a little.

Aizen brow furrowed. As if in slow motion he knelt on the grass and rested a finger against a dandelion. A greenfly wandered on, and Aizen straightened up, holding out his hand to show Kisuke. His chocolate coloured eyes followed the bug's winding quest across the arches and creases of his hand. "It's not afraid of me." His eyes flickered up and rested on Kisuke's soft green ones. "So why are you?"

Kisuke inched to do something. He inched to wrap his arms around Aizen and kiss him senseless, or to tell him he wasn't afraid or to hold his hand or to do something, anything, because knowing he feared those things made him feel like a knife pierced his chest, but he couldn't do anything. He felt like he was struggling against his better judgement, like a fight was going on in his mind, like he was battering against his arms, like he was...

But it didn't matter because the greenfly was in the air and Aizen was walking away.

The loveable rogue was a coward.

**\~/A/N/~\**

**Sorry. It was a good place to end. **


	7. Chapter 7 Love And Other Card Games

**Chapter 7: Love, and other card-games**

Summer leapt onto Karakura town before anyone noticed. Buds opened, sun gathered on dewy grass seemingly overnight.

Kisuke's eyes peeled open and he half expected Aizen to be watching him sleep, but he was alone. He really didn't know about Aizen anymore. Kisuke always liked to things black or white. He'd always put a flashing neon letters over Aizen's head that read ENEMY, big and bright enough for even the dumbest and slowest of Shinigami and humans would get it right away.

He was not to be trusted. Or kissed. Certainly NOT fantasised about. Especially since Kisuke's mind didn't seem to know any limits of decency. It was truly filthy the things it plagued him with.

He rolled off the bed with a groan and ran his fingers through his hair. He half stood up and dressed in uniform green and was about to leave but paused.

He had spotted his green and white hat it the bin and was staring at it. He fished it out. He brushed the dust and dirt off it and looked at it from all angles, before putting it on his head. That was better.

After all, Soul Society didn't need him. Not really. More souls came in everyday, and any one of them could be a powerful Shinigami. Everyone had a deputy. His, had left with him, of sorts, but they'd manage. They always did. Always. They didn't need him to cope.

Kisuke yawned and padded downstairs, following the smell of Bacon cooking. Who needed him really? Sure he was the manager but Tessai would take over if anything happened to him.

Tessai might miss his best friend's company but he had the kids and the customers. The kids didn't seem to like Kisuke much anyway.

Kisuke groaned. Why was he thinking things like that? He let Tessai put some Bacon on his plate, but he didn't feel like eating it.

He scooted back his chair and tried to think of what to do. Had Old Kisuke been in this situation, he would've kept a low profile for a couple of years and only return if they directly asked him too, no matter how much they needed him. He wandered outside to the deck chairs.

But he really didn't know what was the right thing to do. He knew he had to sort out the tangled feelings for Aizen.

He was too tired for this. Kisuke moved outside, and dropped onto a chair, enjoying the warm sun.

He fell asleep before he knew what happened.

xxxxOxxxx

"So you really are a cat. I thought that it was just your friend," Aizen said softly, waking Kisuke from his nap.

"Christ! Are you stalking me?!" Kisuke yelped, almost jumping out of his skin.

"Nothing better to do. Go fish?" Aizen asked, holding up a pack of cards calmly.

Kisuke looked at them warily, like they might explode. "S-sure... What is this... Thing... Between me and you anyway?"

Aizen dealt them out quickly. "3s?"

"U-uh," He glanced at his hand,"Go fish? Look, don't pretend you can't hear me."

Aizen drew some cards and his brow furrowed at them. He put them in his hand reluctantly. "Your turn."

"Aizen."

Silence

"Aizen!"

Silence.

"If you don't-"

"Kisuke to answer your question I have to know how you feel. I cannot read minds. I only know for sure how I feel." Aizen's voice was very slightly strained, and tired. For some reason the fracture in his calm reasonable mask scared Kisuke. It made Aizen seem more real. More human. More delicate.

"How do you feel, then?!" Kisuke yelled, surprised at the fear in his voice.

Aizen smiled, but for once it wasn't mocking. It was gentle, his brow was furrowed, like he was watching a sad film with a happy ending. "Royal flush," he whispered, his cards dropping onto the table, and stood up, walking away slowly.

"Bastard! What's that supposed to mean?!" Kisuke yelled, standing up, but Aizen had vanished. He was staring at the setting sun on the horizon.

He glanced down at the cards. The middle one had tiny scratches along the bottom. They formed letters, that read- Kisuke's heart fluttered, but his hand crumpled the card. Bastard.

He slumped down onto the chair, deflated, giving up. Life was using him for target practise, who was he to complain.

"You guys need to actually talk to eat other," A surprisingly male voice smirked.

For once Kisuke didn't leapt up. "What do you want, Yoruichi?"

The black cat tilted her head, surprised. "I wanted to know how you felt about Aizen."

"I-I... Don't know," Kisuke almost choked. Almost.

Yoruichi rolled her eyes, flattening her ears. "How old are you Kisuke? Haven't you labelled all of your feelings?"

Kisuke was silent for a while. "I-I..." He struggled for words. "Think... I...Love him." Kisuke sighed deeply.

"I see." Yoruichi said. In fact, her voice was softer today. It sounded more like-

Kisuke shot awake, yelling something-he wasn't sure what- and the fact that Aizen's calm smile was the first thing he saw made him seethe with anger.

xxxxOxxxx

It didn't take long for Kisuke to calm down. He was a normally calm guy. Smooth, even. Everything just rolled off him, so to speak.

He smiled at himself in the mirror. He probably would've had to confess his feelings sometime, he wasn't very good with secrets. At least this ways wasn't embarrassing. Unusual, yes, not embarrassing.

He put down his toothbrush and headed into the corridor. He spotted an all-too familiar ex-Shinigami outside his door and continued doggedly. "I swear if you watch me sleep again I'm going to kick your ass so hard you'll be tasting Shihakushō for weeks."

Aizen's mouth twitched like he wanted to smile. "I assure you I had no-"

Kisuke didn't down what happened before his body was brushing again Aizen's, and his mouth was against his own. It couldn't have been Aizen, Kisuke could taste unsaid words with his tongue. It was mouth of a touching of mouths than a kiss; neither deepened or drew back.

Sod this. Kisuke thought, if I'm gonna be damned, I might as well put on a show.

Kisuke deepened the kissed, backing the other up against the wall. His tongue trailed along the edges of Aizen's, brushing his tongue.

Aizen was still. Not a moan or a whimper or a mewl or a shiver or a shudder escaped him. He didn't even tense, like he wasn't affected, or Kisuke wasn't there.

Kisuke broke away from the kiss in annoyance, and Aizen moved to leave, but he wouldn't let him. Kisuke ran his tongue along the line of his jaw. Still nothing. He studied the pale column of flesh in front of him, Aizen's adam's apple ducked as he swallowed. Kisuke's eyes dropped to his collar bone, before leaning in and sinking his teeth into the bone.

Aizen gasped and suddenly there was arms around Kisuke's shoulders, pressing his nose into the warm flesh. Smelt like oranges and chocolate.

Kisuke grinned and pulled away completely, letting Aizen's arms hang limply at his side. He smirked and pushed his door open. "Good night Sōsuke." He whispered, and the door closed with a slide.

**_A/N _**

**_I feel so bad. This is late. I'd already finished it I just forgot to publish it. If you're wondering, no, there won't be any lemons or limes or smut or hardcore. This is as bad as it gets. It ruins a story a lot of the times unless done exceptionally well and I've yet to read one of them. _**

**_I made this longer! Anod gave it a decent title. _**

**_I feel like a newbie, but does anyone have an idea about the pairing name? ..._**


	8. Chapter 8 Night and nighties

The night was its darkest, and dawn wasn't for hours.

The moon wasn't out so the darkness was almost paluable. Its thick, heavy tendrils weighted down on Kisuke almost like arms, pinning him. A chill, straight through the blanket, like it wasn't even there. He murmured something, and tried to roll over but there was something in his way. Something warm, and still, almost as if there, almost as if it was—

Dead.

He leapt out of his bed, the yell stuck in his throat refusing to dislodge, came out as a low, pathetic whimper. He slammed into the opposite wall, shivering not just from the icy chill it spread across his bare shoulders. In the moments it took for his eyes to adjust, half-formed thoughts shot through his sleep-weighted mind, questions in the shadow of something so much worse.

There was something, someone, dead in his bed.

He glanced blindly around the room, checking for exits. The window was open, wind billowed into the dark, dark room. They, whoever they were, must've come through there, carrying the dead thing. Unless the person had crawled into his bed and died there. What if it was one of the kids? Tessai? Or...

He swallowed thickly, trying to slow his breathing, calm himself down, but his heart refused to slow. It beat painfully fast, its off-beat rhythm loud and drowning in his ears. Shiver after shiver rolled down his spine like icy water. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly, scrubbing a hand through his hair, holding his head in his hands. The pace of his heart and the tightness of his chest from fear was enough to take over his brain.

His knees shook and gave out, landing him unceremoniously on the hard floor, his eyes watering from the kicked up dust. He did what he lay on the floor, shivering and staring, a single, small, easily forgotten word overpowering him.

Dead.

Ooo000ooo000ooo000

For the very first time in his entire life, Tessai woke up slowly. That was probably because his closest friend hadn't yelled him awake, and before Urahara Shoten, they'd always been the morning bells to wake captains, before that, well he honestly couldn't remember.

It was strange. And nice, but the weirdness of it was starting to freak him out. And it is extremely difficult to freak out Tessai Tsukabishi. He sighed and dressed quickly.

There was two possible reasons Kisuke hadn't woken him up. A) He was dead. B) He was sleeping with someone. Since neither of those had happened before, Tessai didn't really know how to react. He'd rather it was the second one for obvious reasons, also that Kisuke had been alive for eons and was still a virgin. Even Tessai had gotten laid, despite it being a girl he'd been with and not a boy like Kisuke was into, he was still him and if he had gotten laid then all of Kisuke's excuses went out of the window.

He pushed the door to Kisuke's room open a crack. Said shinigami was sleeping on the floor of all places, knees tucked loosely into his chest, his hands brushing his nose. It was weird, Tessai had never seen him asleep before. He looked like he was in pain. His brow was furrowed, and his body was twisted awkwardly, like he fell.

Tessai was worried now, anxious. He took his friend's shoulders and shook him gently. Nothing. He slapped him gently. Nothing.

He stood up, and turned. Water, cold, a cliche but who really cared. He picked up a cup from the kitchen. He decided against it, and used the bucket again. The water from the kitchen tap always seemed to be icy so he tilted the bucket under it and turned it on. It made a loud smashing sound.

He hoisted the bucket carefully and took it up the stairs. It was cold for a summer morning, but the sky outside the window he passed confirmed the season. Snow-melt blue skies, and even the dismal grey boring buildings around Urahara Shoten looked cheerful in the morning. A bird passed right by the window, not that Tessai had stopped to watch it.

He kicked the door open. Oh? There was two figures in the corner now. One had the unmistakable brown hair and eyes of a criminal, his thin body curled around the sleeping one, holding him closer than even Tessai deemed too close for friends. His eyes were shut and his breathing was steady. Hell, he was probably asleep too. Unlike Kisuke, he looked sort of peaceful, but in a creepy way. Almost like he was dead.

He through the icy water over both of them. Waste not want not.

Ooo000ooo000ooo000

Whilst Byakuya wasn't a morning person as such, he was still fully able to rouse himself at dawn, especially when duty called. This didn't mean he wasn't grouchy, and his bad mood increased when a panic-stricken young shinigami told him hurriedly that Urahara Shoten was almost impossible to find, as the Kido the owner had put up made it seem like an ordinary run-down building, and you could only find it if you knew exactly where it was.

He didn't even bother asking his younger sister, that young vagabond had filled her head with all kinds of stupid adolescent logic, no doubt about the survival and loyalty to your friends rather than higher powers. They are higher powers for a reason but that sort of logic obviously doesn't come to mind when you're trying to be impress a girl. And he couldn't bear right now to ask her and have her attempt her pathetic excuse at lying and feining ignorance.

His bad mood was such it was almost tangible cloud, brushing the minds of the passers by, sending shivers down their spines. It rolled off him and followed him around doggedly. It was so noticeable, that, when he entered (he would have liked to kick the door open, but the traditional paper door slid only and it was against protocol to damage property, whatever mood you were in) the mess hall, the sole breakfasting shinigami took notice despite his usual offhand attitude.

"Renji," Byakuya said sharply.

Renji just looked at him, the ramen handing forgotten, just brushing his mouth.

"We're going on a witch hunt."

Ooo000ooo000ooo000ooo000

"Tessai! What the hell?!" Kisuke yelled, his voice cracking. He was shivering uncontrollably, and pressed back into the blanket-like warmth around him.

"That was rather uncalled for." A familiar chocolaty voice said by his ear.

Kisuke slammed his elbow into the person behind him, who probably could have blocked, but allowed his shoulder to connect with the cold wall with a sickening crunch. Kisuke scrambled madly away, with a look on his face like Aizen had just killed his dog. "Wha—what—WHY WERE YOU MOLESTING ME IN MY SLEEP?!"

Aizen rubbed his shoulder and smiled. "I promise I wasn't."

Kisuke stared at him, his mouth opening and closing but nothing came out. He swallowed, and scrubbed a hand through his hair and swallowed. "...okay."

"In future, I suggest you two think about spooning on a bed like most couples, it's more comfortable cuddling in a bed rather than on the floor." Tessai suggested calmly.

"We weren't spooning! Or cuddling." Kisuke paused, and then added quickly, "We're not a couple either!"

"I understand." Tessai coughed. "I have stuff to do, apologies." Tessai bowed and left, tugging the bucket after him, closing the door quietly.

In the silence, Kisuke just sat there. Occasionally he shuffled like he was going to get up, but thought better of it. He looked at Aizen, and looked away when the brown eyes looked his way. It was almost like a game.

Aizen didn't even bother playing. He outright stared. Kisuke's gaze was changing. First it was wary, like a frightened animal. Then it was annoyed. Now, now it was softer, more connected. His soul was showing in his eyes, the grey was lit with it.

"Are you cold?" Aizen asked.

Kisuke paused. He wavered, a cloud of indecision around his head, and then nodded.

Aizen was suddenly behind him, unnaturally warm. Kisuke wondered if he was under some sort of kido, because Aizen was dry with not a drop of water on him, and Kisuke was drenched. He leaned back, and Aizen engulfed him, his arms coiling around him like a snake. Kisuke found sleep easily.

Ooo000ooo000ooo000ooo

"None of this makes sense." "What if it's a trap?" "Don't you think we should think harder about this?" "If Aizen's there, then we're going to die." "Why don't we leave them be? I'm sure all of us will be strong enough when the time comes, and it's not like we could stop him now."

These questions and more floated between Byakuya and Renji. They had worked together a lot, and they knew each other's strengths and weaknesses and one of Renji's was that he was easy to read. Really easy. And one of Byakuya's was that he was predictable.

So Renji didn't ask them and Byakuya didn't answer. But the unasked questions were heavy and thick in the air like mist, and as they neared

Yoruichi's room, Byakuya's mood darkened.

He knocked the door harshly, and Yoruichi opened it before he'd even finished. "Yeah?"

"We'd like to know the location of Urahara Shōten, please, my lady."

Yoruichi smirked. "Nah."

Byakuya gritted his teeth. "Please."

"I'm sorry, no." Yoruichi said softly.

"Please."

"Not going to happen, Byakuya, however nice you ask. I don't know it." She sighed.

Byakuya furrowed his short eyebrows. "But you've been there."

"Tessai has exceptional Kido. He can teleport the entire building. You can walk right up to it and you'll just teleport to the other side. A million shinigami captains can't breach it. It's the ultimate fortress." She smiled sweetly. "So I'll just guess you'll just have to let it be."

"What if this is the last chance we have to save this entire Soul Society, what if everything will burn if we don't find this place, what if I said that?!" Byakuya's temper ran short.

"Then I'd say that's awful but nothing you say can change the facts," She smirked. " Cap'n."

Byakuya hesitated, but then he let a smile escape onto his lips. Any other person and he'd scold them harshly. "I see."

The mist lifted. Renji smirked for the first time in ages. He waited until they were out of earshot and then, under his breath, the quietest he could, he whispered. "You're in—"

"You won't finish that sentence if you want your limbs intact," Byakuya warned darkly.

Renji started, but then the Cheshire cat grin returned. "Aye aye, Cap'n."

Byakuya spun around and half-drew he sword, but Renji had escaped. He almost cursed, but then again, that was against protocol.

Ooo000ooo000oo000oo000

Hehehe.

I'm so sorry this is the latest thing ever. A million apologies, thank you please.

Yeah. So this is long. Ish. I ran out of ideas. But I thought of an awesome new pairing. Might do a story. Probably not. So, yeah. This was meant to be the last chapter. Probably. Hopefully.

About the first scene. Haven't you ever half woken up and stumbled around a bit, thinking things that made perfect sense then but it's worth anything afterwards. I definitely have. I just lurve torturing the characters.

It's a weird way to end, not even with the main characters at the end, so in second thought, I may or may not write an epilogue.

**I LOVE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU REVIEWERS WITH ALL OF MY ITTY BITTY HEART, YOU GUYS ARE THE GREATEST AND MOST AMAZING AWESOME PEOPLE IN THE WORLD! I LOVE YOU! **


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